THE keys were turned in the doors of 71 new homes in Mungret on Monday in an effort to tackle the ongoing homeless crisis in the city.
The new development built by Cooperative Housing Ireland (CHI), comes as the number of people on the Limerick City and County Council housing waiting list stood at 2,145 in the month of February.
150 single homeless beds were occupied in the city with 34 families, including 59 children, seeking a home.
The true homeless figure is understood to be more with family members separated from through ‘couch surfing’ or living with friends.
Many more are living in overcrowded accommodation, particularly in deprived areas.
The Council has a delivery target of 565 builds by the end of 2022. It has completed 17 new builds since January 1, and is progressing 403 new homes.
The newly built 71 unit development at Baunacloka Heights in Mungret, was constructed in partnership with Limerick City and County Council and property developer Homeland Group to meet the housing needs of low-income households on social housing waiting lists.
The development of 61 three-bed homes and ten two-bed apartments are some of the 592 homes in 13 counties built in 2021 by CHI in partnership with local authorities.
CHI Chairman Pearse O’Shiel said that “despite Covid-19 and the innumerable challenges, they had delivered 592 new homes in 2021, a record number for the organisation and a 23 per cent increase on the previous year”.
CHI is managing around 4,000 homes, supporting nearly 12,000 people,” he said.
Mr O’ Shiel said the company’s growth and delivery in Limerick, and Munster generally, had been “a considerable achievement” despite the pandemic.
“At the end of 2022, we will have delivered 318 homes in Limerick over a 24-month period. Across Munster, we provide homes in all six counties and have successfully increased delivery by 49 per cent over the past three years, providing 200 homes in the region last year alone.”
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said CHI and other Approved Housing Bodies are key partners in achieving the Government’s housing strategy.
“They are expected to provide about 43 per cent of the 9,000 new-build social homes and almost half of the 1,580 Cost Rental homes due to be completed this year”.
Mayor Daniel Butler said the 71 home development is “crucial to relieving the current housing need, the homes provided here are truly affordable with security of tenure”.
One of those settling in to a new family home in the estate is Brendan Meehan.
“We can’t get over the fact that we’re in our forever home, it’s still a dream as such,” he said.
“You’re kind of in ‘settle-in’ mode and the kids are enjoying it, playing out in the back yard and playing with their friends out the front; It’s a massive change to where we were. We still can’t believe it really, so we’re building a community and getting to know people, it’s been fantastic,” added Mr Meehan.
CHI has a target to deliver 318 homes, of which 158 have already been built, in Limerick from December 2020 to the end of November 2022.
Each household in Baunacloka Heights will be a member of the Housing Co-operative and therefore, part of a much larger community.
Members have a say in the running of the co-operative, the management of estates, hosting community events, and can elect representatives to the national board of CHI.
